Judge C. Creed McGinley told a jury Saturday that Adams made a deal with prosecutors just minutes ahead of his sentencing hearing.Under the agreement, Adams received a term of life without parole for Bobo's killing. He was sentenced to consecutive terms of 25 years on the kidnapping and rape counts.McGinley told the jury that the deal with Adams was reached with "some reluctance."

HARDIN COUNTY, Tenn. — John Dylan Adams, one of the defendants accused of kidnapping, raping and murdering nursing student Holly Bobo, will not face the death penalty when he returns for his trial next year.

Adams was in court for a status hearing Tuesday and Judge C. Creed McGinley tentatively set a trial date for May 29. His next hearing is set for 10 a.m. Dec. 14.

"I have moved this case as quickly as I could considering the huge amounts of discovery," McGinley said. "Well over 100 agents worked on this and it's just mountains of discovery."

The next jury could come from from Chattanooga, where there has been relatively little coverage of the case, the judge said.

With the state taking the death penalty off the table, Adams faces a life sentence of 51 years if convicted.

The judge said he’ll be setting a cut-off date soon for when both sides could reach a plea agreement instead of going to trial.[...]Another man, Jason Autry, also faces charges in the death of Bobo, who was killed in 2011 in Decatur County, Tennessee.